1895—Keel laid in Hemne, Norway. Built as a Galeas, a two-masted square-rigger.

1896—Launched as a salted, dried fish hauler under the Norwegian name Moder or Mother.

When the salt fish trade changed with the invention of refrigeration, Moder was used as a general cargo vessel.

1940s—made into a single-masted ship. An engine was installed later.

1960s and ’70s—Norwegian government encouraged shipowners to modernize fleets as part of a plan to rid the abundance of old ships that could not compete with modern vessels. Moder was threatened to be sunk.

April 1971—German Gerhard Schwisow and German-born Albert Seidl paid the owner $16,000 not to sink Moder. Their intent was to sail around the world and use the ship for whale research and to make movies.

Next 18 months—the two spent hundreds of thousands of dollars rebuilding the ship, making it into a three-masted bark. They rechristened it Barba Negra (Blackbeard) in Norway.

Winter 1972-’73—left Norway and traveled to Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

1974—entered the tall ship race from France to England. They later traveled to the Caribbean, West Indies and Bermuda.

July 1975—landed in New York City. Also on board was Seidl’s family.

January 1977—left Canada, hit a blizzard and spent months repairing damage in Boston. Later traveled to Norfolk, Va. and Brunswick, Ga.

1978—sailed from Brunswick into Savannah, following an invitation signed in August 1975 by Mayor John Rousakis to bring the ship to Savannah’s port. The men worked as shipbuilders while in Savannah.

Schwisow and Seidl separated their business engagements nearly two years ago.

Also several years ago, Frank Joseph Schwindler started using Barba Negra as a sail training vessel for youngsters. He had promoted himself as a retired naval officer with extensive sailing experience and oversaw the youth program until Schwisow asked him to leave in May.

Schwindler was convicted earlier this month in Chatham County Superior Court on three counts of child molestation and related charges involving a 14-year-old Savannah youth. The molestation occurred aboard the Barba Negra and other sites. He was sentenced to life in prison.